Dangote Industries Limited, owned by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, has raised its fertilizer investment capital to $4 billion in Ethiopia’s Somali regional state.
This was announced on Sunday when Dangote was visiting his group’s fertilizer plant project in Gode where he received a hero’s welcome and was hosted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Ethiopia signed a shareholders’ agreement with Dangote Group in August last year for the establishment of a urea plant with an annual production capacity of three million metric tons.
The construction of the facility was officially launched in October 2025. The joint venture is structured with Dangote holding 60 per cent and Ethiopian Investment Holdings taking 40 per cent.
He was hosted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and both men visited the construction site of the proposed facility on Sunday
While visiting the construction site with the Prime Minister, Dangote announced an increase in the project’s total investment from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion.
The Dangote Group statement read, “Dangote announced an increase in investment from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion, reflecting expanded scope, including a 110km pipeline, a 120 MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a two-million-tonne NPK blending plant.”
Ahmed, during the visit described the project as central to Ethiopia’s development agenda.
“This initiative represents far more than infrastructure. It is a strategic investment in Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation, food security, industrial growth, and economic self-reliance,” according to a statement from Abiy’s office released late Sunday.
“Once completed, the fertilizer plant will play a vital role in strengthening local production capacity, reducing dependence on imports, supporting millions of farmers, and creating new opportunities for jobs and investment,” it said.
MG/as/APA